Long-term treatment with GHRH [1-44] amide in prepubertal children with classical growth hormone deficiency

A cohort of 20 GH deficient prepubertal patients were treated with GHRH [1- 44] 10 mu g/kg or 20 mu g/kg twice daily for up to four years (5 patients). GHRH treatment resulted in sustained improvement in height velocity. The m ean prepubertal height velocity was 3.57 +/- 1.05 cm/yr pretreatment; 8.49 +/- 1.45 cm/yr at year 1; 6.86 +/- 1.45 cm/yr at year 2; 6.22 +/- 0.74 cm/y r at year 3; and 6.16 +/- 0.97 cm/yr at year 4, IGF-I levels increased and remained within normal range. The difference between the children's and the parents' Ht SD scores significantly diminished from a pretreatment differe nce of -2.43 to -0.48 after four years of treatment. No adverse effects wer e noted during treatment. We conclude that twice-daily GHRH [1-44] treatmen t in a small group of prepubertal GH deficient children resulted in sustain ed improvement in height and growth velocity, and achieved height SDS appro aching closely those of their parents.